News
Hellbender Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection: A Call to Action for Aquatic Conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed to protect the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This proposal addresses the dramatic decline in Hellbender populations due to habitat loss, water pollution, and other factors. The proposal builds on years of collaborative conservation work and scientific study, highlighting the need to safeguard this species to maintain the health of freshwater ecosystems. This proposed rule would extend protection to hellbenders across their range, from New York to Georgia.
Register and submit abstracts for the 2025 SE Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems Workshop
January 7-9, 2025
Historic USDA Investment in Working Lands for Wildlife is Great News for Hellbenders
Working Lands for Wildlife will dedicate $500 million over the next five years to strengthen and expand efforts to protect wildlife and restore habitat on private agricultural and forest lands.
NRCS Staff Support the Hellbender WLFW Program by Learning About Natural Design Principles
NRCS staff from four states met in Western NC to tour stream restoration projects for hellbenders and get a close up look at best practices.
To Restore Hellbender Habitat, a Biologist Visits the Farmers' Market
When working to restore wildlife habitat on agricultural lands, outreach to producers can be challenging. Private Lands Biologist Mike Knoerr figured out a way to make it much more efficient.
Celebrating Bog Turtles During Wild Turtle Week
Wild Turtle Week gives us an opportunity to bring extra attention to turtles and our conservation efforts on their behalf.
Are Hellbenders Found Downstream of the Ohio Train Derailment Really a Sign That the Water is Safe?
Ohio authorities have called the recent capture and release of two hellbenders downstream from the site of a train derailment and toxic chemical spill a 'positive discovery,' because hellbenders are an indicator of a healthy aquatic ecosystem, but the reality is more complicated.
NY NRCS Area Biologist Reflects on Nearly Two Decades of Conservation Success
Elizabeth Marks, NRCS Area Biologist, discusses the Bog Turtle Working Lands for Wildlife partnership in New York
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program Announces Funding for Projects to Support Hellbender Conservation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has has announced grant awards for the 2022 cycle of its Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program and several of the awards will benefit Eastern hellbenders.
2022 Was a Busy Year for the Working Lands for Wildlife Hellbender Program
2022 was a busy year for the Working Lands for Wildlife hellbender program.
A Collaborative Approach to Restore Bog Turtle Populations
Like the bog turtle itself, bog turtle populations in North Carolina are very small. A collaborative effort between multiple conservation organizations hopes to change that by giving them a little help.
New Jersey Bog Turtle Conservation Initiative: Working with Landowners and Communities
The Endangered and Nongame Species Program created and is implementing a comprehensive management initiative to provide long term conservation of the important bog turtle populations in New Jersey.
10,000th Hellbender Released to the Wild
The Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are celebrating a historic milestone in hellbender conservation in Missouri. As of August 2022, the total Saint Louis Zoo-raised endangered Ozark and eastern hellbenders released into the wild since 2008 now numbers over 10,000 individuals.
Field Day at Mountain Research Station
The Field Day at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, NC will be a great event for agricultural producers to get the latest updates on agricultural research and to see the latest and best available tools and equipment at the trade show. The NRCS Partner Biologists for the Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative will be in attendance with information about the program.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in Grants to Conserve Habitat in the Southeast’s Cumberland Plateau
Seven projects will preserve forest and stream habitats, benefiting game species, forest-dependent birds, and fish and mussel species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife denies Endangered Species Act protection for eastern hellbenders
Just as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has called on the public to help locate and document sightings of the declining population of eastern hellbender salamanders to help in recovery efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list the salamander as an endangered species.
Researchers study eastern hellbender salamanders parental habits
Unlike most wildlife species, male hellbenders provide exclusive care for their young for an extended period of seven months.
Virginia Tech Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Parental Care in Eastern Hellbender Salamanders
William Hopkins, professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is the principal investigator on a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $738,817 to study parental care in the eastern hellbender salamander.
Chattanooga Zoo Announces Baby Hellbenders
The Chattanooga Zoo announces the successful hatching of a group of Hellbender eggs collected from the wild here in East Tennessee.
